Congratulations on making Elecraft your radio of choice and adding K-Keys to your library of radio software.  K-Keys enables the user to program up to 10 keyboard macros for rapid access to nearly any remotely controllable function on Elecraft K2 and K3 transceivers using the computer's Function keys, or CTRL / ALT key combinations.  

K-Keys is written by Ken Nicely (KE3C), a member of the VE2DXY Zone 2 contesting team. It started as a simple program to control the Elecraft K3 KDVR3 digital voice keyer. It was the number one operating convenience our team used to work more contacts faster resulting in a higher score, which was more than enough inspiration to motivate Ken to write K-Keys.

Once we found out how well K-Keys worked, Ken made additional refinements that made it even better.   This fantastic little program allows the operator to call CQ and give contest exchanges with the CW and RTTY memory keyer built into the Elecraft K3 and with the optional Elecraft KDVR3 voice keyer (if installed in your radio), and can also access numerous additional functions including band and mode changes, select filter bandwidths, even tune the radio... without having to reach for a knob or button on the front panel of the radio hundreds of times during a contest. 

Imagine that you are working a contest or hunting DX while using your favorite logging or multimode software…  you clicked on a spot for a rare station posted on the DX cluster and your rig control program has set your radio to the correct frequency and mode.

You may think you’re ready to work the station, but without K-Keys  you may still have to reach for the bandwidth control, the memory keyer button or another control on the radio to make adjustments or activate a function.   With K-Keys however, you can change filters, activate the auto tuner and send from a CW or KDVR3 memory (if installed in your radio) with just a keystroke or two… and this is just the beginning. 

K-Keys is user configurable, with up to 10 function key or CTRL / ALT / Shift key combinations that are selected from convenient drop-down menus.  It is simple and easy-to-use, and runs concurrently with logging, rig control and multi-mode programs.  You do not need to change active screens on your computer or take your hands off the keyboard to activate a radio function. 

K-Keys is small, sits silently in the background and co-exists gracefully with other ham radio programs to share the same keyboard without interfering with each other.  It does this by assigning user-selected keys on your keyboard to specific rig control commands.  When you press the key or keys for the assigned function, that command is sent to your radio, even while you are working in other programs.  (User must take care to ensure that keyboard commands set-up in K-Keys are assigned carefully so as to not over-ride built-in function keys in other programs. Any key sequence on the keyboard may be assigned to a K-Keys function.)

Installation

1. K-Keys is written for a PC-compatible environment only and has been tested with Windows 7 and Windows Vista, 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems.  Operability with earlier versions of Microsoft operating systems has not been tested.  K-Keys is not designed to run in Macintosh or Linux operating systems. Some programs that utilize advanced keyboard routines such as those in DirectX may prevent K-Keys form working with K-Keys. K-Keys runs from the system tray giving you immediate access to the K-Keys interface.
2. The following services are required by K-Keys and are automatically placed in the correct folders when K-Keys is installed: 
1. Windows Installer 3.1
2. .NET Framework 3.5 SP1
3. Before using K-Keys for the first time you will need to decide if you will be running it as a stand-alone program or multi-tasking with other ham radio software such as a logging program or multi-mode software.  You can move between stand-alone and multi-task modes simply by reassigning the COM port selection in K-Keys as needed.
1. If you are going to run in stand-alone mode, configure K-Keys to communicate directly with your radio’s serial port (COM port). 
2. Alternatively, if you are planning multi-task with additional programs that need to communicate with your K2 or K3 transceiver via the serial port, you will first need to install and run a virtual COM port program such as LP Bridge. 
   
   (LP Bridge is a 3^rd-party software program that creates virtual COM ports on your PC, allowing multiple applications to communicate with your radio simultaneously.  It is not supplied with K-Keys and should be downloaded and installed according to the author’s instructions.  For more information on using and setting up LP Bridge visit www.telepost.com)
   
   
4. When K-Keys is minimized, double-click its red and blue KK icon in the system tray to bring it to the foreground  

5. Whether operating in stand-alone or multi-tasking mode, the K-Keys COM port selection needs to be configured to communicate with your Elecraft radio via your computer’s (real or virtual) serial port before it can be used.

1. Select “Settings” from the main menu and click on the “Serial Port” tab. 
2. Select a COM port that corresponds to the port assigned to your radio if in stand-alone mode, or select a free port in the virtual COM port program that you are using.  The default values for Baud Rate, Parity, Data Bits, Stop Bits and Handshaking are correct in 99.9% of situations and can usually be left unchanged.
3. Click on the “Connect on Startup” checkbox if you want K-Keys to automatically connect to your radio when the program is launched.
5. Once COM ports have been set-up, the next step is to assign radio command sequences to keyboard shortcuts. 
1. Select “Settings” from the main menu and click on the “Commands” tab.

2. Radio commands and key selections are made by selecting the appropriate items from the drop down boxes. 

                                                               i.      Select the desired command function by using the appropriate drop-down dialog box in the “Select Command” list.

                                                              ii.      The “Command Name” and “Command” text can be customized for each command button selected if desired. 

IMPORTANT NOTE:  Command strings in K-Keys are pre-programmed and should not be changed unless a custom function is desired.  Users are strongly discouraged from changing command text strings without first consulting the Elecraft programmer’s reference.  The author of K-Keys accepts no responsibility for radios that are incorrectly mis-configured through user written custom functions. 

                                                            iii.      Once you have set up your keys and commands save them by clicking “OK” and you are ready to try them out.  Changes can be made at any time by returning to the “Commands” tab and repeating the steps outlined above.

7. Once the serial port is set up and the keys and commands are assigned; Select “File”|”Connect” from the main menu to connect the program to your serial port, if it is not already connected.  Then press the key sequences you have assigned to control the radio.

Reference

1.       Welcome Screen, Registration and Updates

a.       Welcome Screen / Registration / Donations

The welcome screen will be shown each time you start K-Keys.  It can be temporarily disabled for 30 days at a time by selecting the “Don’t show this again for 30 days” checkbox, or it can be permanently disabled by registering the program and making a $10 donation to the program author.  Once you make a donation you will be sent a registration key linked to your e-mail address and the welcome screen will no longer appear.

b.       Updates

Each time you start K-Keys the program will check itself to see if there is a new version available.  If a new version is available, K-Keys will ask if you would like to install the update. 

If you select yes, the update will be installed and the program will start normally.  If you choose not to update and it is not a required upgrade, then the program will start the currently installed version.

2.       Main Screen

a.       Control Tab

In the control tab on the main K-Keys screen, a button is shown for each command that is available.  Up to 10 commands and key combinations can be configured to send the corresponding command strings to the radio.  Each command can be sent by pressing the key(s) assigned to it or by clicking the appropriate button on the commands tab.  Each button shows the command name and keys that are assigned.

b.       Terminal Tab

The terminal tab is provided for users who would like to try sending raw commands to the radio. 

                                                               i.      IMPORTANT NOTE:  Sending of raw command text strings through the Terminal Tab should be experimented-with only by experienced programmers.  Users are strongly discouraged from changing the command text strings without first consulting the Elecraft programmer’s reference.  The author of K-Keys accepts no responsibility for radios that are incorrectly mis-configured through the terminal tab. 

If you put a check mark in the “Debug: Show Key Commands” checkbox, K-Keys will show all commands that are sent to the radio, not just those sent and received through the terminal tab.  This box should only be checked when you need to debug user programmed commands.  Keeping this check box selected may cause the K-Keys program to become unstable due to the large amount of data displayed.

c.        Main Menu and System Tray

The Main menu is located across the top of the main screen.

                                                                           i.      File Menu

1.       Connect:  Connect K-Keys to the radio serial port

2.       Disconnect: Disconnect K-Keys from the radio serial port

3.       Exit: Exit K-Keys.  This will also disconnect K-Keys from the serial port.

                                                                          ii.      Settings:  Show the settings screen

                                                                        iii.      Help

1.       About:  Display the About screen and current running version of the program.

2.       Website:  Go to the K-Keys website.

3.       Register:  Display the registration screen.

                                                                        iv.      Donate:  Go to the K-Keys web page where you can register K-Keys.

3.       Settings

a.        Serial Port Tab

This is the tab for setting up the serial port communications and startup settings

1.       COM Port:  Select the COM port to use when connecting to the radio.  This could either be a physical COM port that you have the radio directly connected to your computer, or it could be a virtual COM port set up in a virtual program such as LP Bridge.

2.       Baud Rate:  Usually 38400 baud for the Elecraft K3, but must match the settings for the radio.

3.       Parity:  Usually set to none, but must match the setting for the radio.

4.       Data Bits:  Usually 8, but must match the setting for the radio.

5.       Stop Bits: Usually 1, but must match the setting for the radio.

6.       Handshake: Usually set to none.

7.       Connect at Startup:  Check this if you would like K-Keys to automatically connect when the program starts.

b.       Commands Tab

The Commands tab is where you assign the text strings that will be sent to the radio and the key(s) that will be assigned.  For each button shown on the main screen you can:

1.       Assign the command text string that will be sent to the radio.  Selecting a command in the dropdown will replace the name and function with the text associated with that command.  You can change the command or command name and only the values in the textbox will be saved for that button. 

2.       Assign the keys that must be pressed to send the Command.  Make sure to select key combinations that do not conflict with the function keys used by your other programs. 

K-Keys traps the key strokes before they are sent to your other programs, so any keys assigned to K-Keys will not sent to your other running programs.

4.       Registration

a.        This is where you enter the registration key that is e-mailed to you when you send a $10 donation to the author of K-Keys.  You get to this screen by selecting “Registration” from the main menu.  Enter the email address used when you made your donation along with the registration key that was sent to you. 

The registration key will be sent to you within one week of receiving your donation. 

If you have questions please post to the K-Keys reflector or Contact Ken Nicely (KE3C)

Microsoft, MS Windows 7,Windows  Vista, .net Framework, Elecraft, K3, K2, KDVR3, Telepost and LP Bridge are all copyright properties of their respective owners and are represented in this user’s guide for purposes of clarity only and do not constitute an endorsement or recommendation.  The K-Keys name, description, designation, software code, screen designs and the content of this User’s Guide are all the property of Ken Nicely, KE3C and the VE2DXY Contesting Team , Copyright ©2009, and may only be redistributed in their original form including this copyright notice, and may not be disassembled, reused, repurposed or copied electronically or mechanically without explicit, written permission from the owners.